Penobscot McCrum

What Penobscot McCrum does

Penobscot McCrum LLC is a vertically integrated frozen potato processor and sixth-generation family farming enterprise headquartered in Washburn, Maine. The McCrum family began potato farming in Mars Hill, Maine in 1886; in 2004 the family acquired the assets of Penobscot Frozen Foods to form Penobscot McCrum LLC, and in 2020 the company opened a state-of-the-art frozen French fry processing facility in Washburn. The company controls its supply chain from seed through finished frozen product, producing a portfolio of branded frozen potato products — Field Fries (traditional uncoated cuts), Super Spud Fries (clear-coated), Farm Fry (battered, hand-cut style), County Crisp and County Crunch (wheat-battered), and a specialties line of wedges, patties, rings, barrels, and diced coated/brined potatoes — packed in 6/5 lb foodservice cases.

The business model is B2B foodservice. McCrum sells primarily through three authorized distributors — Sysco (global reach), Performance Food Group, and Dennis Food Service — that supply restaurants, hotels, and institutional kitchens. A secondary direct channel serves Maine K-12 schools via the Maine Local Foods Fund partnership (Maine Farm & Sea to School Program), which reimburses schools 33% on approved McCrum products, and the facility also accepts direct pick-up orders. Distribution focuses on the United States, with Maine and broader New England as the heritage market and national foodservice expansion enabled by Sysco.

In November 2025, McCain Foods acquired Penobscot McCrum LLC including the Washburn processing plant and approximately 130 employees; the McCrum family retained ownership of the underlying farming operation and continues to supply potatoes to McCain. The processing business now operates as a subsidiary of McCain Foods, with the McCrum brand and product lines preserved.

Name

Penobscot McCrum

Legal name

Penobscot McCrum LLC

Website

https://penobscotmccrum.com/

Company type

Private

Founded year

1886

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Penobscot McCrum is a sixth-generation, vertically integrated Maine potato farming and frozen potato processing company, acquired by McCain Foods in November 2025. It produces branded fries and specialty potato products for U.S. foodservice distributors (Sysco, PFG, Dennis) and Maine K-12 schools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Frozen Potato Products / Food Manufacturing

NAICS

Frozen Specialty Food Manufacturing (311412), Food Manufacturing (311)

SIC

Canned, Frozen & Preservd Fruit, Veg & Food Specialties (2030), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Frozen Entrées & Complete Meals (CRADADAA)

Keywords

• Frozen potato products
• Potato processing
• Foodservice distribution
• Vertical farm integration
• Maine potato farming

Headquarters

HQ city

Washburn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Frozen Potato Products: B2B sales of frozen potato products to foodservice industry through distributor network and direct orders. Products include fries, wedges, and specialty potato products sold in bulk foodservice packaging (6/5 lb cases).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Penobscot McCrum grows and processes Maine potatoes into a portfolio of frozen potato products — including traditional uncoated fries, clear-coated fries, battered and wheat-battered fries, wedges, spud patties, spud barrels, spud rings, and diced coated brined potatoes — sold in bulk foodservice packaging (6/5 lb cases). Products are manufactured at the company's state-of-the-art Washburn, Maine processing facility and distributed to foodservice operators through Sysco, Performance Food Group, Dennis Food Service, and direct institutional channels.

Product overview

Penobscot McCrum is a vertically integrated potato processing company operating as a sixth-generation family enterprise since 1886. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of frozen potato products organized into four main product lines: (1) Field Fries - traditional uncoated fries in various cuts (crinkle, straight, steak); (2) Super Spud Fries and Farm Fry - coated fries featuring clear coating and battered varieties respectively; (3) County Crisp and County Crunch - wheat-battered fries with heavy coating options; (4) Specialties and Wedges - including potato wedges, spud patties, spud barrels, spud rings, and diced products. All products are made from Maine-grown potatoes with full vertical integration from farming to processing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Field Fries Traditional uncoated frozen potato fries available in multiple cuts including 1/2" crinkle cut, 1/4" straight cut, 3/8" straight cut, 5/16" straight cut, and steak cut, with skin-on or skin-off options. Sold in bulk foodservice packaging for restaurants and foodservice operators.
• Super Spud Fries Clear-coated frozen potato fries available in 3/8" straight cut (skin off), 5/16" straight cut (skin on), and 1/4" straight cut. Designed for enhanced crispness and heat-holding properties for foodservice operators.
• Farm Fry Signature battered random-cut frozen fries with skin on, hand-cut style, golden brown textured crisp outside with mashed potato center, and strong heat-holding performance. Marketed as a farm-to-fork product made from Maine-grown potatoes at the Washburn, ME facility. Packaged 6/5 lb per case (30 lb net weight).
• County Crisp & County Crunch Wheat-battered frozen potato fries. County Crisp is available in 3/8" straight cut with skin off; County Crunch offers a heavier batter coating in 3/8" and 5/16" straight cuts, both skin off, for extra crunch. Packaged 6/5 lb cases (30 lb net weight).
• Specialties & Wedges Frozen potato specialty products for foodservice, including McCrum Wedge (skin on, 6/5 lb), McCrum Crinkle Cut Wedge (skin on), McCrum Crinkle Cut Long (skin on), Diced 9/16" Coated Brined (skin on), McCrum Spud Patties (skin off), McCrum Spud Barrels (skin off), and McCrum Spud Rings (skin off).

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced carbon footprint through fraction of irrigation used compared to other potato-producing states
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• McCain FoodscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 November 2025McCain Foods, a Canadian food company, acquired Penobscot McCrum LLC in November 2025. The acquisition includes the processing plant in Washburn and preserves the farming operation and jobs at the facility. The McCrum family continues to focus on potato growing while McCain expands its North American potato processing network. This builds on decades of prior supply relationship between the companies.
• Maine Farm & Sea to School ProgramminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMcCrum participates as a proud partner of the Maine Farm & Sea to School Program, offering K-12 schools in Maine 33% reimbursement on approved potato products through the Maine Local Foods Fund. Schools participating in the National School Lunch Program are eligible for this discount.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Lamb Weston: Lamb Weston is one of the world's largest frozen potato product manufacturers, supplying fries and other potato specialties to foodservice and retail customers globally. Closest scaled competitor in the North American frozen potato category with overlapping product lines (fries, coated, wedges).
• McCain Foods: McCain Foods is now the parent company of Penobscot McCrum following the November 2025 acquisition. McCain is the world's largest producer of frozen french fries and other potato products, operating globally across retail and foodservice channels. Direct overlap in frozen potato processing and product portfolio.
• J.R. Simplot Company: Simplot is a major agribusiness and frozen potato processor serving foodservice and retail with fries, formed potatoes, and specialty potato products. Comparable vertically integrated model spanning farming through processing, similar to Penobscot McCrum's farm-to-fork approach.
• Cavendish Farms: Cavendish Farms is a North American frozen potato product manufacturer with processing facilities in the US and Canada. Directly comparable product mix of fries and formed potato products sold through foodservice distributors.

Emerging players

• Basic American Foods: Basic American Foods produces dehydrated and prepared potato products for foodservice and industrial customers, including hash browns and reconstituted potatoes. Adjacent competitor in the foodservice potato category with overlapping distributor relationships.
• Side Delights: Side Delights is a fresh and specialty potato brand from Wilcox Farms/Bolthouse Farms. Comparable focus on differentiated, farm-traceable potato products targeted at retail and foodservice operators seeking local sourcing stories.
• Alexia Foods: Alexia Foods (owned by Lamb Weston) is a premium frozen potato brand focused on retail and foodservice with hand-cut, organic, and specialty fries. Comparable premium, differentiated positioning to McCrum's Farm Fry and Super Spud lines.
• Idahoan Foods: Idahoan Foods produces dehydrated and frozen potato products including mashed potatoes, hash browns, and specialty sides for foodservice and retail. Adjacent competitor in the value-added frozen potato category.
• The Little Potato Company: The Little Potato Company specializes in premium, small creamer potatoes sold fresh and prepared. Comparable emphasis on specialty varietals and farm-branded positioning targeting retail and foodservice.

Broad incumbents

• Ore-Ida: Ore-Ida is the leading retail frozen potato brand in the United States, owned by Kraft Heinz. While focused on retail (vs. McCrum's foodservice focus), it competes for the same end-consumer potato occasions and shelf space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/penobscotmccrum

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Penobscot McCrum